"While food can certainly be our medicine, it is also true that medicines are more dangerous than foods (Weed, 2002)." Most breast enlargement formulas consist exclusively of extracts of medicinal herbs typically used in menopause and fertility formulas. These extracts may not be as safe or as even as effective as the same herbs in full-spectrum form. Also many of the herbs they contain are not as effective for breast enlargement as when taken in combination with certain others. Additionally, the chemical extraction process most certainly leaves a toxic residue.

NaturalWoman® is an all natural botanical complex predominantly consisting of phytoestrogens 'in matrix' from grains, seeds and full-spectrum herbs renowned for their breast enlarging actions, plants skillfully chosen for the synergy of their diverse estrogenic contributions. In addition to hundreds of years of positive anecdotal evidence, their chemo-preventative actions and healing properties are now being elucidated by hard science, to the credit of many a quasi-occult medicine man of folklore.

The wisdom with which we have selected our ingredients agrees with the traditional use of the whole herb, before the practice of standardization was developed out of the drug model of herbal medicine by which the compound thought to be responsible for the action of the herb is isolated from the rest of the plant, concentrating on one constituent at the expense of other potentially important phytochemicals and co-factors that may contribute to the activity of the whole herb in helping our bodies utilize them safely and derive the most benefit from them.

They consist predominantly of grains and seeds found at the top of the list of foods ranking highest in phyto-estrogens, while the herb are replete with their full range of constituents in the ratios found in nature.

Given that potency results from the interaction of many, many constituents within and among herbs, not from isolating just the active constituents (which, moreover, are sometimes wrongly identified), the combination of raw materials we use in the milligrams provided, promises the possibility of the most potent formula available in terms of both effectiveness and safety, as well as permanency. All work in adaptogenic way to prove the desire for firmer, fuller, more voluptuous breasts can be fulfilled by the higher plants!

Prolonged use of extracts of medicinal herbs such that are used in other formulas, is widely discouraged—an important point to consider since most of them you would have to take indefinitely in order maintain results. (NaturalWoman® is a one-time program. Results remain such that they would have to be surgically removed.)

They are known to cause estrogen dominance, especially if taken on top of birth control pills, ERT, HRT or bHRT, and/or under toxic conditions caused by xenoestrogens from pollutants (which attach receptor sites and mimic the actions of estrogen), growth hormones in meat and dairy, perimenopause, stress, obesity, poor liver or glandular function.

It incorporates all the same ingredients as the original European formula, the only clinically proven formula, stumbled upon by a Dutch scientist in the early '90's while attempting to find a cure for breast cancer when test subjects began reporting that their breasts were growing. Cup size increases experienced by these women were scientifically validated as permanent lean breast tissue that would have to be surgically removed.

NaturalWoman® contains hops, the only source of prenylflavonoids, a newly discovered class of phytoestrogens here derived from exclusively European crops. The prevailing prenylflavonoid (IX) is transformed by your intestinal microflora into 8-PN, the most mastogenic phytoestrogen known to date.

The formula also contains Puresterol®, the only form of pueraria mirifica that can guarantee a minimum level of the co-actives deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol. It is made from the PM that grows and is wild-crafted in the mountainous regions of Thailand. The more potent deoyxmiroestrol occurs simultaneously with miroestrol only in the highest quality plants. A proper ID test is required to identify true PM, which reveals itself only two weeks out of the year. Much of the PM being used in other products is misidentified or else they use cultivars. Studies by the Thai government have shown that transplanted roots for cultivation transmutate to a different, non-active Thai kudzu species, of which there are 13. Alongwith 8-PN, these co-actives, deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol, rank highest among all known phytoestrogens for receptor affinity and nuclear retention. In assays of estrogenicity conducted at University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, of the three, 8PN has been the most potent (R. vanBreemen, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, personal communication, June 11, 2010).

NaturalWoman® is the first dietary supplement to maximize the potential of 8-PN and Puresterol® (the purest form of Pueraria mirifica), for breast enlargement, outside of treatment for just menopausal symptoms—with no sign of HRT-like risks).

"I don't like to chemically dissect a medicinal plant. You can identify hundreds of substances yet never be sure that any given one or ones may be responsible. In many cases, they may work best only when they work together." (Duke, 1999, "From my science notebook," para.6)."

Emphasis is placed not so much on how the following ingredients are believed to work, rather than on evidence that they actually do

Hops (Humulus lupulus L): "Hops have been shown to contain one of the most potent in vitro estrogenic substance known from the plant kingdom, (±)-8-prenylnaringenin (Chadwick, 2006, "Introduction," para. 10)."

"Hops" refers to the strobiles, or "cones" of the female of the species Humulus lupulus. The bitter acids and volatile oils of the inflorescences are valued for their use in beer manufacturing. The pursuit for the perfect beer has made hops the most agriculturally evolved botanical, with quality controls in place at least as far back as the law entitled "An Acte for avoyding of deceit in selling, buying or spending corrupt and unwholesome Hoppes" was passed in England in 1603 (Chadwick et al., 2006).

But hop is also favored for its "hopein," a term used in referring to estrogen from hops. Earliest medical studies were motivated by the folk legend that women who came from distant places to work in the hops gardens would begin to menstruate two days after starting to pick hops. In 1953 it was reported to contains "the equivalent of 20-300 μg estradiol/g." (Herbclips, 2006)

1999 marked the beginning of the modern, unambiguous understanding of the in vitro estrogenic activity of hops, when a team of scientists isolated 8-prenylnaringenin(8PN), a prenylated flavonoid and characterized it as the major estrogenic substance in hops and one of the most potent known plant estrogens (Chadwick et al., 2006).

The following are excerpts from actual studies which can be fully viewed by accessing the associated links listed in the reference section at the bottom of the page.

"We have identified a potent phytoestrogen in hops, 8-prenylnaringenin, which has an activity greater than other established plant estrogens (Milligan, et al, 1999)."

"Among the possible estrogenic compounds in hops, 8-prenylnaringenin is perhaps most significant due to its high in vitro potency exceeding that of other known phytoestrogens (Nikolic et al, 2004).

The prevailing prenyflavonoid in hops, Xanthohumol, has been characterized a 'broad-spectrum' cancer chemopreventive agent in in vitro studies, while 8-prenylnaringenin enjoys fame as the most potent phyto-estrogen known to date. These biological activities suggest that prenylflavonoids from hops have potential for application in cancer prevention programs and in prevention or treatment of (post-) menopausal 'hot flashes' and osteoporosis. Xanthohumol and related prenylflavonoids from hops and beer: to your good health! (Stevens, 2004).

Scientific evidence has accumulated over the past 10 years pointing to the cancer preventive potential of selected hop-derived beer constituents, i.e., prenylflavonoids including xanthohumol and isoxantho-humol, and hop bitter acids (Gerhauser, 2005).

The following are taken from Possemiers, et al, 2006:
In vitro experiments with the dynamic SHIME [Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem], model showed that hop prenylflavonoids pass unaltered through the stomach and small intestine and that activation of IX into 8-PN (up to 80% conversion) occurs only in the distal colon.

Phytoestrogens are plant constituents that structurally or functionally mimic female estrogens. Some display selective estrogen receptor modulating activity and could therefore play a beneficial role in the prevention of osteoporosis, menopausal complaints, or cancers [(1) Ososki AL, 2000].

An important factor influencing the bioavailability and activity of phytoestrogens is their metabolic fate upon ingestion. In general, after reaching the colon, flavonoids are partially degraded, depending on their structure, thereby leading to lower bioavailability [(16)Simons AL et al, 2005]. However, microbial transformation in the colon may also increase the biological activity of the ingested compounds, a process that has been described for different phytoestrogens [(17) Rowland, 1999). For hop prenylflavonoids, a similar phenomenon was observed recently. Isoxanthohumol (IX) is the prevailing prenylflavonoid in beer and is 10–30 times more abundant as 8-PN [(18) Stevens J, 1999]. Recently, Schaefer et al. [ (19)( Schaefer O, 2005] noted the activation of IX into the phytoestrogen 8-PN inside the human body. Our previous research indicated that the intestinal microbial community might be responsible for this production of 8-PN after IX consumption [(20) Possemiers, et al, 2005].

SAW PALMETTO (Serenoa repens) is a dwarf palm celebrated for its edible olive-like, deep purple berries. It is practically unique to Florida.

Saw Palmetto has been used for hundreds of years by many cultures for the maturation of underdeveloped breasts and for reversing the shriveling of the mammary glands. Due to its ability to also treat impotence in men and inhibited sexual desire in women, it could very well have been the "fountain of youth" that Ponce de León was looking for in Florida (Duke, 1999)!

This plant, which is as paradoxical as it is paradisiacal, defies demystification, but science has at least established its main mechanism of action, which is that it prevents testosterone from converting into DHT by interfering with 5alpha reductase (5-AR), the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into DHT.

As a DHT deterrent, Saw Palmetto has certainly proved to be a blessing in the treatment of enlargement of the prostate, and it is rapidly becoming the herb of choice to treat androgenetic hair loss as well (5-AR resides in hair follicles and the DHT that forms chokes off their blood supply). Also, DHT is what causes the oil gland to enlarge and produce more oil, hence more acne, especially during puberty when natural testosterone is raging, so Saw Palmetto is finding application in dietary skin care too.
DHT is a strong androgen which, even in small quantities, maintains the masculine state. After all, it is DHT, not its precursor, testosterone, that is the real androgen (male hormone) responsible for the sexual differentiation that occurs in the womb, then later the deepening of the vocal chords, enlargement of the penis and testes, male hair patterns on the body and facial hair.

We don't know how it works to enlarge the breasts, only that it does. In terms of male transitioning to female, Saw Palmetto is an effective anti-androgen that can significantly deal with DHT. It inhibits 5-AR at least as well as, or perhaps even better, and unquestionably more safely than finasteride (Proscar), the synthetic anti-androgen drug (Duke, 1999) used by transsexuals for demasculization. As a natural DHT buster it inadvertently increases estrogen and therefore promotes breast enlargement.

There isn't any one explanation that doesn't still leave questions. However it is reasonable to postulate that since testosterone is the raw material for both estrogen and DHT, Saw Palmetto, by redirecting testosterone to the production of estrogen instead of DHT, is inadvertently availing the body of more estrogen, the hormone most responsible for mammogenesis.

Saw Palmetto is a hormone modulator. Its ability to demasculize on the one hand, yet strengthen libido on the other (in both men and women); to promote estrogen as well as block testosterone from aromatizing into estrogen when there is too much estrogen already, is a remarkable testament to its adaptogenic effects, as well as to the view that "a single compound within saw palmetto may not have much of an influence on its own whereas in combination with the hundreds of other compounds it contains, would have a synergistic effect (Sahelian (n.d.), "How does it work? " para.2)."

It does this of course in consort with the human body, which is constantly seeking homeostasis. Your body likes to keep your lab readings within a narrow range and has many systems of checks and balances. If one system fails, there is usually another one which can pick up the slack.

As you can see by the following, science has long since found many explanations for the evidence-based way in which The King's American Dispensary (1898) describes this plant: "It is said to enlarge wasted organs, as the breasts, ovaries, and testicles while the paradoxical claim is also made that it reduces hypertrophy of the prostate. Possibly this may be explained by claiming that it tends toward the production of a normal condition, reducing parts when unhealthily enlarged, and increasing them when atrophied." In today's terms, it is anabolic (builds up organs and tissues) and adaptogenic (has a balancing effect). We have since come to know saw palmetto as one of the very few herbs that are anabolic.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Fennugreek is a well known breast growth stimulant that continues on to help with milk production once the glands have been established. It is associated with the release of prolactin, an important regulator of mammary gland differentiation and growth.

The plant is native to the Mediterranen area and has been used for breast enlargement since ancient times. It is widely rumored that Harem women of the ancient Middle East relied upon this herb to obtain their buxomness. Roasted fenugreek seeds make a fine brew and coffee substitute.

Herbs that increase breast milk supply during lactation are clinically known as galactagogues. Fenugreek works by enhancing levels of progesterone as well as prolactin.

Prolactin works with estrogen to help develop the mammary glands during puberty. During pregnancy it helps facilitate an increase in the number of lobules and alveoli which are the hollow sacks that make and hold the milk.

Fennugreek has a characteristic maple flavor and is the substance used to naturally flavor artificial maple syrup. It is also commonly used in Indian cooking. In natural medicine it is used to control diabetes, cholesterol and increase libido. It also is used to treat irregular menstrual cycle and to ease labor pains and menstruation pain. Fenugreek is extremely safe.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) Fennel is another well known galactagogue that induces the let-down reflex for milk secretion through the stimulation of prolactin.

Botanically, it is a perennial herb indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean, but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on river-banks. "It is composed of a pale green or white bulb formed from interwoven leaves, and topped with stems decorated with a multitude of feathery leaves (from Visual Food Lover Guide, Fennel: Definitions from Answers.com)."

The seeds are about 5mm long and are grooved. Highly aromatic and flavoursome, they have many culinary uses. It contains anethole, a chief constituent also of anise and camphor. Anethole has been shown to block both inflammation and carcinogenesis, but just how these effects are mediated is not known (Chainya, 2000).

Fennel is also rich in dianethole and photoanethole, other hormone-altering compounds that can stimulate production of estrogen and prolactin, which are necessary for breast milk production. "Alternatively, some galactagogues improve breast milk production by flavoring a mother's milk and thereby encouraging the baby to nurse more frequently (Russo, n.d, para, 1)."

Its use in breast enlargement is further justified by the fact that it is another source of phytoestrogens, which promotes growth of breast tissue. The increase in prolactin fosters more prolactin receptors causing tissue in the alveoli glands of the breast to grow. In addition to galactagogues, massage will also stimulate this. Prolactin balances estrogen. Consequently prolonged breastfeeding (or in this case, massage) would help prevent thickening tissue and thereby cancerous cells from forming.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare): Barley is a hardy grain that grows in nearly all cultivated areas of the temperate parts of the world, and is the most dependable cereal crop where drought, summer frost, and alkali soils are encountered. Principal uses of barley grain are as livestock feed, for the production of barley malt, and as human food. It's a very good source of fiber and selenium, and a good source of phosphorus, copper and manganese.

Barley's fiber binds to and removes cholesterol-containing bile, which forces the body to make more bile by breaking down cholesterol, thus lowering cholesterol levels (Barley, n.d.).

"One type of phytonutrient especially abundant in whole grains such as barley are plant lignans, which are converted by friendly flora in our intestines into mammalian lignans, including one called enterolactone that is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease (Barley, n.d., "Lignans Protect against Cancers and Heart Disease," para.1)"

As a rich food source of phytoestrogens, barley works synergistically with other estrogenic plants to stimulate and repair breast tissue. Centuries of tradition also support its use as a galactagogue (Russo, n.d.).

Barley plays a critical role in the very bio-activation of phytoestrogens, however it is not typically a part of the modern diet. The barley we use, which is another ingredient you will not find in any other formula, is Sustagrain®. It differs from traditional barley because of its high fiber content. It is composed of approximately 30% dietary fiber. This identity-preserved variety (NON-GMO) of barley has a balanced blend of insoluble and soluble fibers, with the highest level of beta-glucan and the lowest glycemic index of any grain. (Beta glucans are sugars that are found in the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae, lichens, and plants, such as oats and barley. They are used for high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer; to boost the immune system in people whose body defenses have been weakened by conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, or physical and emotional stress.) Truly a superfood, all-natural Sustagrain promotes sustained energy, satiety and digestive and heart health.

Finding carbohydrates like Sustagrain® that are high in beta-glucan, as opposed to traditional wheat which is relatively low in beta-glucan, can help a diabetic regulate their intake of dietary sugars.

Sustagrain® is also appealing for those who suffer from Celiac disease, a condition that makes people ill when they ingest wheat gluten. It may end up being a good substitute for those with Celiac Disease because of its relatively low gluten content.

Barley Malt (Semen Hordel Vulgaris Germanitum):
Barley malt comes from barley just sprouted. It is toasted and concentrated into a soluble fiber. It provides food for friendly bacteria which helps colonize the colon, thereby reducing the risk of infection by toxic bacteria and fungi (Barley, (.n.d.). This is important because the health of the intestinal microbial community influences the bioavailability and activity of phytoestrogens.

Case in point: "In vitro experiments…showed that hop prenylflavonoids pass unaltered through the stomach and small intestine and that activation of IX into 8-PN (up to 80% conversion) occurs only in the distal colon (Possemiers, et al, 2006, "Abstract." para. 1)." The prevailing prenylflavonoid (IX) is transformed by your intestinal microflora into 8-PN, the most mastogenic phytoestrogen known to date.

Humans cannot digest plant fiber, but bacteria can. Good bacteria release nutrients from the fiber that directly feed the cells of the intestines. They are not absorbed into the bloodstream. The point is to out-compete and crowd out bad bacteria to keep it from taking up residence. Since bad bacteria are responsible for bloating, barley malt will also help keep you from weight gain due to bloat. Good bacteria even help produce enzymes that digest drugs and hormones. ("Good bugs vs. bad bugs," 2007).

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum moensch): Buckwheat is a rich food source of phytoestrogens. Although it is not a cereal, buckwheat can be used in the same way as barley to produce a malt and because it is gluten free, can form the basis of a mash that will brew a beer that can be enjoyed by coeliacs.

Besides the synergistic contribution it makes to breast enlargement, it contains certain medicinal chemicals that strengthen capillary walls for people with high blood pressure and treat venous insufficiency. There is also a protein in it that binds tightly to cholesterol so is being studied for reducing plasma cholesterol in people with hyperlipidemia ("Buckwheat," 2011).

Rye (Secale Cereale): Rye is food source that contains an estrogenic ligan that works synergistically with other phytoestrogens in the formula to increase breast size. Phytoestrogens in rye have traditionally been used to help prevent or reduce the uncomfortable symptoms that accompany menopause, and in that regard is a modulator which helps balance hormones and potentially offers protection against breast cancer.

Pueraria mirifica (specifically P. candollei var. mirifica). There are many plants that go by the name pueraria mirifica but, make no mistake, our formula is the only one that uses the actual variety that contains the actives deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol. You'll find such names as Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw and Suvatabandhu and the vernacular names Kwao kreu khao, Kwao Krua, White Kwao Krua, Thailand Kudzu.

Deoxymiroestrol makes a larger estrogenic contribution than miroestrol (is ten times more potent), however miroesterol is typically dominant in quantity. Deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol are only found together in the highest quality plants. Along with 8-PN, deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol rank highest among all known phytoestrogens for receptor affinity and nuclear retention.

A proper ID test is required to identify true PM, which reveals itself only two weeks out of the year. Other varieties do not get mixed in to our formula.

There are many products for breast enlargement centered on pueraria mirifica, but much of what is being used is misidentified and has none of the benefits of true PM. Whatever effects may be achieved from these products are from the weaker phytoestrogens in the plant. Moreover, studies by the Thai government have shown that transplanted roots for cultivation transmutate to a different, non-active Thai kudzu species, of which there are 13. (Passwater, 2007). Only true PM with guaranteed levels of deoxymiroestrol and miroestrol is used in NaturalWoman®.

The people of Northern Thailand attribute their youth and vitality to PM. Besides renewed energy and vigor, it de-ages the skin, alleviates problems from cataracts, regrows and strengthens hair, and helps restores gray hair to its original color. It is a significant adaptogen that helps regulate the body's natural metabolism and fosters health.

"[Research] shows that PM can halt the growth of breast cancer cells in vitro (Northrup, 2010, p. 557)." PM may be a viable alternative to women who may otherwise need bio-identical hormone therapy. (Northrup, 2010). NaturalWoman® is the first dietary supplement to maximize the potential of Puresterol® (the purest form of Pueraria mirifica), for breast enlargement, outside of treatment for just menopausal symptoms—with no sign of HRT-like risks).

Bamboo (Bamboo vulgaris): Ever notice how the knots in bamboo look like vertebras? It also has the essential quality of being able to straighten itself after being bent. Indeed, the way a plant is shaped or colored can be nature's way of guiding us toward its therapeutic use. It's called the "doctrine of signatures," set forth in the early 1900's by a German doctor, Rudolf Hauschka, who made herbal medicines (Moser, P. 2008).

Bamboo is a rich source of silica which contributes greatly to the strength and integrity of bones everywhere in the body. So happens degenerative bone loss usually begins in the spine. Hint well taken.

Exudation from the knots, called Tabashir is one of the main substances from bamboo used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine. The word is interchange-able with simply "bamboo silica." Silica contains more than ten times the level found in the widely used horsetail plant (Moser, P. 2008).

It is a mineral the human body cannot be without. As the body's natural level of silica declines, it exhibits the signs attributable to aging such as bone loss, dry and wrinkled skin, weakened teeth and gums and hair loss. It is essential for the growth of hair, nails, and teeth; makes the eyes bright and protects the skin from becoming flabby. Little wonder it is often called "nature's internal cosmetic."

Silica converts aluminum that gets into our systems into insoluble hydroxy-aluminosilicates that cannot enter the bloodstream or brain. Since aluminum is thought to be a causative factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease, silica can provide an opportunity for primary prevention of this growing disease (Silica, n.d.).

Next to oxygen, silicon is the most prevalent element on earth, making up 28.9% of the earth's crust, and most commonly occurs in the form of quartz. Within the human body, this naturally occurring mineral is found in the form of silica, a natural compound made up of silicon and oxygen. All connective tissue cells in the body, the nails, the hair and the skin contain silica (Silica, n.d.).

Foods ordinarily rich in silica often grow in mineral-depleted soils. As a result, our daily diets may lack sufficient quantities of silica. As we age, our supply of silica becomes depleted and les silica is assimilated, resulting in wrinkled, dry skin; dull, lackluster hair; and brittle nails. Daily supplementation with the Bamboo silica will help maintain this necessary equilibrium and to minimize the effects of premature aging.

Silica supplementation can also keep menopause free of stress and helps to prevent many unwanted side-effects of it; the most paramount one being the development of osteoporosis. In men, too, the nervous system and glandular network will gradually undergo changes that cause deterioration of vital body functions during andropause. This can also be alleviated by using silica.